Things Learned from the New York Giants' 7th OTA

On Monday, the New York Giants put the seventh of 10 OTAs in the books.

Although there is still a lot of football left between now and the start of the regular season, slowly but surely the coaches have been able to find out things about the strengths and the weaknesses of the talent at each position.

Part of the process has been delayed because of injury or, as is the case with defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, the lack of a signed contract.

Still, sometimes when a player isn’t available to take his normal workload, that gives a player a chance to show what he has to offer.

Here, then, is a look at some key observations and storylines from the seventh OTA practice and what each might potentially mean for the team moving forward.

WR Corey Washington Has Matured

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Last year, receiver Corey Washington did not attempt to hide his frustration over how his rookie season played out.

Washington vented to Tom Rock of Newsday, wondering aloud as to why, after a stellar preseason that saw him tied for the league lead in touchdown receptions with four, he didn’t see more time on offense.

Rather than let the disappointment eat away at him, Washington went back to work in the offseason, committed to fine-tuning his receiving skills as well as working on his special teams contributions, the latter being one of the main reasons why Washington’s snaps were limited last season.

"So come back next year, keep doing what I've been doing this season,” he told Rock of what he needed to do in his second season. “Give a little more. Catch some more touchdowns in the preseason. That's all I can do."

So far so good. Washington told reporters following the seventh OTA that his confidence level is high as he works to erase any doubts his teammates and coaches might have had about him last year.

“I am gaining (quarterback) Eli (Manning’s) trust and coach (Tom) Coughlin’s trust,” Washington said of the biggest difference for him so far. “(Coughlin) is throwing me out there with the ones, so I just have got to continue to work and keep it up.”  

So far, so good. Coughlin told reporters that he likes Washington’s attitude, which based on his comments made to Rock, wasn’t always positive last year.

“He has had a nice spring,” Coughlin told reporters.

“He has worked hard. He has had a good attitude. He has had a smile on his face. He has done most everything we have asked him to do. I think every time he has been called upon he seems to have responded.

"I think the opportunities he has had offensively, he has taken full advantage of his year to learn, and I think he has matured a little bit. He has had a solid spring,” Coughlin added.

Having a solid spring is nice, but what remains to be seen is whether Washington can continue that into the summer and beyond.

Cullen Jenkins Has Been Holding Down the Fort at Right Defensive End

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Of all the Giants units, the defensive line is probably the one that has the biggest number of question marks surrounding it.

That’s partially thanks to DE Jason Pierre-Paul’s absence from the team. Pierre-Paul, the franchise player, is within his right to skip the voluntary workouts.

He also doesn’t have to sign his franchise tender until he reports to training camp unless he wants to get it out of the way next week, which head coach Tom Coughlin seems to believe will be the case when he told reporters that he’s still expecting Pierre-Paul to show up for the team’s three-day minicamp.

While the Giants wait on Pierre-Paul, they have been working Cullen Jenkins, a starting defensive tackle last year, at right defensive end, with George Selvie and Kerry Wynn taking turns at left defensive end.

Part of the reason for Jenkins’ move is because both Damontre Moore (shoulder) and Owa Odighizuwa (knee) have been limited in team drills during the OTAs.

However, as defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo continues to try different things with his defense this spring, there could be a possibility of Jenkins seeing more action at defensive end even into training camp.

That wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing if it happens. Per Pro Football Focus, Jenkins has remained a solid pass-rusher regardless of where he’s played, even last year in a season where he was dogged by a calf strain that caused him to miss some snaps.

If Jenkins can hold down that defensive end spot, at least until Odighizuwa is ready, that could mean more snaps for the bulked-up Jay Bromley, who hopes to get more snaps in the defensive interior rotation this year.

Odell Beckham Jr. Is Unlikely to Work in Team Drills Until Training Camp

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While it is easy to appreciate the Giants’ tendency to be cautious with players returning from injury, the fact that receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is once again experiencing hamstring issues—this time in the hamstring that didn’t cause him to miss most of the spring and training camp and four weeks of the 2014 season—is concerning.

Last year, Beckham, who claimed to have two torn hamstrings, told Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post that he was never at 100 percent last season, despite his breakout rookie season that saw him catch 91 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games.

“They healed up enough to where I could play with them, but they were never truly good, and I’m still just working on them and trying to get ready,” Beckham told Hubbuch.

Beckham has, on numerous occasions, told reporters that he can get better at his craft, yet these balky hamstrings of his just don’t seem to be cooperating.

The question is why are his hamstrings an on-going issue? Is it how he trains? Does he allow enough recovery time? Will this be an issue going into training camp and beyond, as it was last year?

Yes, it’s early, and if Beckham shows up to training camp cleared to participate in the summer, all will be forgiven and forgotten.

Still, the disappointing thing is that this is the second year in a row that Beckham is being dogged by hamstring issues, raising concern as to whether this is going to be an annual concern that leaves people holding their breath about when he will actually be ready and if he’ll ever get to 100 percent.

What’s more, in an offense that has some timing patterns in place, will Beckham’s lack of participation put him behind the eight ball if he continues to miss team drills?

It’s too soon to say right now, but certainly Beckham’s situation bears watching once the Giants report to camp in late July.

Nat Berhe’s Calf Issue Continues to Linger

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When second-year safety Nat Berhe missed the first OTA, the reason given was a calf strain, which was initially said to be not serious.

In fact, Berhe’s missing that first OTA was simply supposed to be a "precautionary" step, he claimed, so that he could get back on the field as quickly as possible.

That hasn’t been the case, as Berhe has now presumably missed seven of the 10 OTAs, with no sign of him returning to action this week as the Giants close out their OTA slate before the start of their three-day minicamp.

Why is Berhe’s situation worth mentioning? He was projected to be a strong contender for a starting job alongside of rookie Landon Collins in the revamped defensive secondary. Berhe noted his determination to "get back" to the field:

"

Doing all I possibly can to get back, I'm not a guy that misses games. You can look that up.

— Nat Berhe (@NatBerhe) June 8, 2015"

Certainly Berhe's injury, as well as the other injuries no doubt, has left head coach Tom Coughlin frustrated.

“This would have been the ideal time for him. Unfortunately, he has not been able to get to where he can really drive, so it has been very slow,” he said.

“He was here as a rookie and got to play a little bit. He also did a nice job on special teams. He has a lot of things of that nature, but this would have been ideal for him,” Coughlin reiterated.

Cooper Taylor Has an Early Lead in the Safety Competition

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While Berhe sits, his chief competition, Cooper Taylor, has been turning heads in practice.

Taylor, who stands 6’4”, 228 pounds, has become noticeably leaner and looks faster and more fluid than from a year ago before suffering a season-ending foot injury in the summer.

“I kind of went back and re-did everything I’ve done because I’ve been hurt the first two years,” Taylor told reporters.

“I went back, changed my diet completely. I’m doing this new type of stretching called FST (fascial stretch therapy), which has made me incredibly flexible and has helped with little muscle pulls. It’s time to produce, and the time is now.

If Taylor wins the starting safety role, he believes he would complement Collins, who stands 6’0” and 225 pounds, well because his presence would give the Giants a pair of tall safeties whose skills should be interchangeable based on the matchups.

“Two big safeties—there’s nothing wrong with that,” Taylor said. “Two big guys who can hit and run around and make plays on the ball.”

They’re also two big guys who are starting to become comfortable with each other, according to Taylor.

“I think we’re definitely starting to build that chemistry and I think as things are going on, we’re starting to get more comfortable with each other,” Taylor said.

“We make a lot of calls on the defense, and we’re starting to play off of each other, show a little more disguise, get into the flow of things and stop thinking and start playing defense.”

Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced. Keep up with the New York Giants! Follow and interact with me on Twitter and on Facebook.